John C. Liu

News about John C. Liu, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Sep. 10, 2014

Democratic primary voters in Queens reject indicted State Sen Malcolm A Smith and elect Leroy Comrie in landslide; State Sen John L Sampson, indicted on embezzlement charges, wins Brooklyn primary; State Sen Tony Avella wins tight race against former New York City Comptroller John Liu; Independent Democrat leader Sen Jeffrey D Klein of the Bronx fends off challenge by G Oliver Koppell. MORE

Aug. 30, 2014

Editorial endorses candidates in the Democratic primary for the New York State legislature and Civil Court in New York City; chooses Oliver Koppell in State Senate District 24, John Liu in State Senate District 11, Jo Anne Simon in Assembly District 52 and Gus Christensen in Assembly District 76; endorses Rupert Barry for Civil Court District 2 and Isela Isaac for Civil Court District 6. MORE

Aug. 28, 2014

Queens Democratic primary race between New York State Sen Tony Avella and John C Liu, former New York City comptroller, could have ramifications for the balance of power in Albany; Gov Andrew M Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stand to benefit if their party takes over State Senate. MORE

May. 24, 2014

John C Liu, former New York City comptroller whose mayoral aspirations were undermined by investigation into his campaign fund-raising, says he will challenge Sen Tony Avella for his State Senate seat in Queens. MORE

Oct. 11, 2013

Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, two former associates of New York City Comptroller John C Liu who were convicted of attempting to illegally funnel money to Liu's mayoral campaign, are sentenced to 10 and 4 months in prison, respectively; both faced maximum sentences of 20 years on each of various counts and sentences are far shorter than prosecutors had recommended. MORE

Sep. 5, 2013

Trailside blog; Democratic New York City mayoral candidate John C Liu's wife Jenny Liu makes her campaign debut stumping for husband at senior center in Lower Manhattan. MORE

Sep. 4, 2013

Alessandra Stanley The TV Watch column notes final debate between candidates in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary is not dramatic showdown among front-runners; says most of heat and animation comes from the two candidates competing for rock bottom, John C Liu and Anthony D Weiner. MORE

Aug. 6, 2013

New York City Campaign Finance Board votes to withhold as much as $3.5 million in public money from John C Liu's mayoral campaign; decision comes three months after two of his former associates were convicted of participating in an illegal fund-raising scheme; lack of matching funds places Liu at a severe financial disadvantage in mayoral race. MORE

Jul. 22, 2013

Bloomberg administration takes rare step of filing lawsuit against City Comptroller John C Liu for rejecting two municipal contracts, contending that Liu blocked a deal on homeless shelters to advance his own mayoral campaign; suit, believed to be only the second filed by the administration against the city or state comptroller's office, is latest and perhaps most pronounced skirmish between Bloomberg and Liu. MORE

Jul. 9, 2013

Trailside blog; John C Liu, city comptroller and a Democratic candidate for mayor, has raised graduation speeches to a high art; using occasions to offer a capsule version of his own years inside the New York City school system, Liu is winning fans among the many audience members he makes sure to congratulate, even those not old enough to vote. MORE

May. 4, 2013

Speculation has begun about New York City Comptroller John C Liu’s political viability and legal exposure following convictions of two former associates in an illegal campaign-finance scheme. MORE

May. 3, 2013

Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan are convicted for their roles in attempting to funnel money to the campaign of New York City Comptroller John C Liu, Democratic candidate for mayor, through illegal fundraising; lawyers for both men say their clients will appeal. MORE

May. 2, 2013

Lawyers for Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, former associates of New York City Comptroller John C Liu, ask jury to acquit their clients of conspiring in illegal campaign finance scheme to benefit Liu; argue that Hou had no knowledge of scheme and that Pan was pressured into it. MORE

May. 1, 2013

Federal prosecutor asks jury to convict Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, former associates of John C Liu, New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate, of conspiring to funnel money to his campaign through an illegal fund-raising scheme; prosecutor also argues that Liu had to have been aware of scheme. MORE

Apr. 29, 2013

Judge Richard J Sullivan seeks to weed out potential bias or other disqualifying factors in the campaign finance fraud trial of Jia Hou and XIng Wu Pan, two former associates of New York City Comptroller John C Liu; lawyers and prosecutors face challenges in picking an impartial jury without a negative view of politicians in such a politicized case. MORE

Apr. 26, 2013

Sharon Lee, longtime aide to New York City Comptroller John C Liu, testifies that in 2011 she offered to reimburse donors' contributions to Liu's campaign in what prosecutors say was an illegal fund-raising scheme; Lee, whose testimony appears to have placed her in possible legal jeopardy, is stopped by judge who warns her she does not have immunity but she continues testimony. MORE

Apr. 25, 2013

Sharon Lee, longtime aide to New York City Comptroller John C Liu, testifies that she had offered to reimburse donors for their contributions to Liu’s campaign, tactic that prosecutors have said was part of an illegal fund-raising strategy used by some Liu aides. MORE

Apr. 24, 2013

Federal prosecutors say testimony by Thomas Wang, who contributed to John C Liu's campaign, bolsters case that Jia Hou, then Liu’s campaign treasurer, had conspired to raise money through 'straw donors.' MORE

Apr. 23, 2013

Federal agent John Chiue, who went undercover to investigate campaign financing of New York City Comptroller John C Liu says that his superiors prematurely ended undercover operation, even though he felt there were indications that campaign officials were involved in irregularities; Chiue is testifying in Manhattan in trial of Liu’s former associates Jia Hou, a former campaign treasurer, and Xing Wu Pan, a fund-raiser. MORE

Apr. 22, 2013

Issue of ethnicity hangs over jury selection process in trial of two former associates of New York City Comptroller John C Liu; defendants Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, both born in China, are charged with conspiring in an illegal campaign finance scheme that was to benefit Liu; each has pleaded not guilty; Judge Richard J Sullivan has rejected each side's complaint of bias in removing potential jurors. MORE

Apr. 19, 2013

Jurors in trial of New York City Comptroller John C Liu's former campaign treasurer, Jia Hou, and fund-raiser Xing Wu Pan hear testimony, including audio and video recordings, from Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent John Chiue; Pan is heard more than once strongly suggesting that Liu was aware of the illegal fund-raising scheme at the heart of the trial. MORE

Apr. 17, 2013

Trial begins for former associates of New York City comptroller John C Liu, treasurer Jia Hou and fund-raiser Xing Wu Pan; they are accused of conspiring illegal campaign financing scheme intended to benefit Liu. MORE

Apr. 16, 2013

Judge Richard J Sullivan of Federal District Court in Manhattan rules that prosecutors may call Sharon Lee, longtime aide to New York City Comptroller John C Liu, to testify in the trial of Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, two former associates charged in an illegal campaign fund-raising scheme. MORE

Apr. 10, 2013

Prospective jurors in trial of Jia Hou, former campaign treasurer for John C Liu, New York City comptroller and a Democratic candidate for mayor, will be questioned about their impressions of Liu and whether that would affect their ability to be fair and impartial. MORE

Mar. 18, 2013

City Comptroller John C Liu announces his New York City mayoral campaign on the steps of City Hall with a populist pitch and taking aim at Mayor Michael R Bloomberg. MORE

Mar. 16, 2013

New York City Comptroller John C Liu plans to announce his candidacy for mayor, bid marred by fraud charges against two associates, but one that Liu insists is still winnable. MORE

Mar. 1, 2013

City Comptroller John C Liu uses a New York City mayoral candidates’ forum to demand an end to an ongoing federal investigation of his fund-raising practices; strongly-worded ultimatum captures Liu's mounting frustration with an investigation that has case a shadow over his fledgling mayoral campaign. MORE

Feb. 9, 2013

Federal District Court Judge Richard J Sullivan rules trial of Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, two allies of New York City comptroller John C Liu who are charged in illegal campaign scheme, will start April 15; proceedings were delayed because Pan had been committed to a hospital. MORE

Feb. 6, 2013

Trial of Jia Hou and Xing Wu Pan, allies of New York City comptroller John C Liu who are charged in illegal campaign-finance scheme, is delayed after Pan is involuntarily committed and hospitalized for a mental health condition. MORE

Jan. 31, 2013

Xing Wu Pan and Jia Hou, allies of New York City Comptroller John C Liu, are scheduled for trial on charges stemming from federal investigation about illegal campaign finance scheme; Liu has repeatedly said he and his staff committed no wrongdoing, but court filings present unflattering portrait of the mayoral candidate. MORE

Jan. 30, 2013

Sharon Lee, former press secretary for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, is expected to testify for the government at trial of Liu's former campaign treasurer Jia Hou; Hou and a co-defendant Xing Wu Pan, former fund-raiser, have been charged with conspiring to defraud the city by using so-called straw donors on behalf of Liu’s campaign. MORE

Jan. 5, 2013

Electronic message is one of several potentially incriminating communications that lawyer for Jia Hou is asking to have barred from trial in Federal District Court in Manhattan in February; Hou has been charged in an illegal campaign-finance scheme in connection with the presumptive mayoral campaign of John C Liu, city comptroller, and message instructed colleague on how to handle audit that would closely scrutinize donor forms. MORE

Dec. 21, 2012

Comptroller John C Liu gives a State of the City address, only the second ever delivered by a comptroller in city history, in which he offers populist themes like raising the hourly minimum wage; motivation for the speech is likely his potential plans to stage an underdog mayoral bid for New York City in 2013. MORE

Nov. 29, 2012

Bill de Blasio, Christine C Quinn, William C Thompson Jr and John C Liu, Democratic candidates for New York City mayor, argue views on business in New York City at economic forum in Midtown Manhattan. MORE

Oct. 17, 2012

Federal wiretap application documents containing excerpts from conversations involving New York City Comptroller John C Liu reveal that Liu was engaged in his campaign on a granular level, and also perhaps had closer dealings with fund-raiser Xing Wu Pan than was previously known. MORE

Oct. 12, 2012

Federal prosecutors file court papers sharply rejecting claims that authorities had sought to pressure Xing Wu Pan, former fund-raiser for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, into helping implicate him in criminal practices; United States attorney's office also offers broad defense of tactics used in an investigation that has led to the indictments of both Pan and Jia Hou, Liu's former campaign treasurer. MORE

Sep. 15, 2012

Federal prosecutor Brian A Jacobs indicates in Federal District Court in Manhattan that investigators are continuing to interview donors to the campaign of New York City Comptroller John C Liu, with the list now narrowed to about 100 people; disclosure suggests that authorities are trying to amass more evidence to put pressure on the defendants in the fund-raising case. MORE

Sep. 11, 2012

Court filings reveal that federal authorities investigating the fund-raising operation of New York City Comptroller John C Liu had their eyes on him as early as 2009, and obtained judicial approval to listen in on his phone conversations in 2010 and 2011; filings were made by lawyers for two defendants charged in the case, former Liu fund-raiser Xing Wu Pan and former campaign treasurer Jia Hou; Liu has so far not been charged with any wrongdoing. MORE

Sep. 6, 2012

New York City Comptroller John C Liu, excluded from Democratic National Convention's delegate list because state's top Democrats are skittish about a federal investigation into his fund-raising, travels instead to South Korea and Taiwan; he says four-day whirlwind trip is intended to promote business and economic opportunities for the city, but it will also afford him the chance to meet potential donors for a presumed mayoral bid. MORE

Jul. 11, 2012

Attorney for Xing Wu Pan, former top fund-raiser for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, is seeking a dismissal of legal charges against Pan, claiming government misconduct; Pan, charged with funneling illegal campaign contributions to Liu through fictitious donors, alleges that the government pressured him to help manufacture a case against Liu in investigations of the comptroller's fund-raising practices. MORE

Jun. 23, 2012

New York City Comptroller John C Liu warns that the city's ambitious bike-share program could increase accidents and city's liability in them; says he is concerned that the Transportation Dept has not adequately prepared for the litigation that could result from a program expected to put 10,000 bikes on the streets. MORE

May. 31, 2012

Audit released by New York City Comptroller John C Liu reports that Hewlett-Packard, a major contractor on the city's 911 emergency-dispatch system, inappropriately billed at least $2.5 million, and possibly as much as $50 million for varied tasks; contractor also received $113 million for several years of work that city officials deemed unsatisfactory, prompting Liu to suggest that the city might be entitled to a partial refund . MORE

May. 2, 2012

Jia Hou, former campaign treasurer for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, pleads not guilty to charges that she helped to funnel illegal campaign contributions to Liu through fictitious donors and obstructed federal fraud investigation. MORE

May. 1, 2012

Crowd of more than 200 people, mostly from two union locals, cheer at a rally hoping that city comptroller John C Liu will still run for mayor, despite federal investigation into his fund-raising practices; two-hour rally is the most public and vigorous event held for his benefit since his political career was upended. MORE

Apr. 28, 2012

Jia Hou, former campaign treasurer for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, is indicted on charges that she helped funnel illegal campaign money to Liu by using fictitious donors and them impeded investigators efforts to gather information about the fund-raising. MORE

Mar. 29, 2012

Councilman Daniel R Garodnick, Democrat from the East Side of Manhattan, says he is likely to run for New York City Comptroller in 2013, even if that means challenging incumbent John C Liu, who has not yet said whether he will seek re-election; Liu has been under federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising activities. MORE

Feb. 29, 2012

Jia Hou, the campaign treasurer for New York City Comptroller John C Liu, is charged with fraud and obstruction of justice as an expanding federal investigation of the comptroller's fund-raising reaches inside Liu's inner circle for the first time; Hou is accused of helping to funnel illegal campaign money to Liu by using straw donors and impeding investigators' efforts to gather information about the fund-raising; the charges suggest that Hou was also taking instructions from Liu. MORE

Feb. 18, 2012

Xing Wu Pan, a top fund-raiser for New York City comptroller John C Liu, pleads not guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges; prosecutors contend that he helped funnel thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to Liu. MORE

Jan. 18, 2012

New York City Comptroller John C Liu reports a sharp drop in campaign donations, the clearest indication that his aspirations for the mayor’s office have been hurt by a federal investigation into his fund-raising practices; after raising $1 million in the first half of 2011, Liu collected $517,000 in the second half, trailing everyone except City Council Speaker Christine C Quinn, who has already amassed the maximum for candidates accepting public money. MORE

Jan. 10, 2012

Pace at which New York City Comptroller John C Liu is bestowing official commendations and the priority he gives to the attendant ceremonies suggest a political outreach effort as much as an official duty; with Liu’s campaign finances subject to a widening federal investigation, the 760 commendations awarded since his election in 2009 could be examined for clues into his fund-raising practices. MORE

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